Talarian Union

The Talarian Union is the primary state of the Q'Mau species, found immediately rimward of the Verdan Federation just outside the Vernarca Nebula. They are generally cordial with their neighbors, and have avoided direct conflict with other nations since the Tyran War despite remaining a member of the Yazera Pact.

History

Formation and Pre-Federation Era

Unusual for mono-species nations such as this, the Talarian Union was not unified until long after the Q'Mau achieved warp travel. It was formed by the Talarian Acts of Union, a set of treaties which unified the states of the Alliance of Ishasi, the Arafel Congressional Republic, and the colonies at Chachin. The new Talarian Union promised to unify the Q'Mau at peace in the face of external threats like the often-belligerent Varbudian Union, which was expanding in Talar's direction at the time.

The first Autarch, Sesinerra, was notably more warlike than many of her successors. The Varbudian Union and the other neighboring states tended to be too busy intimidating each other to focus on an all-out conflict with Talar. Luckily for everyone in the Union except her family, Sesinerra died in childbirth before she could goad the Kaegans or Ravoryl into war, leaving her clan to raise her newborn triplets and leaving her nation at peace with its neighbors.

Sesinerra's successors were much better than her at the arts of peace, deftly guiding the newborn nation in the chaotic ocean of of interstellar politics. Unfortunately, affairs within the Union were not so nice. All but one of the next four Autarchs were assassinated by a variety of extremist factions who disliked the way they were steering the Union and often believed in xenophobic ideas of Q'Mau supremacy. After this, it became a running joke in society that the position of Autarch was somehow cursed, although the lack of evidence for an actual curse made this mostly ineffective in actual politics. The next three leaving without fanfare after medium-length terms dispelled the notion.

Tyran War to the Kaegan Conflict

In 1 BC, the states coreward of the Talarian Union coalesced into the Verdan Federation. This mostly removed the potential threat of the expanding Varbudian colonies by making it more difficult for that particular faction to start anything, but if anything was started it would have the full weight of the new Federation behind it. Luckily for everyone, both the Union and the Federation were assisting in the rebellions of the Tyran Empire, side-by-side with their old rivals. Notably, Talarian fleets played a pivotal role in the Battle of Vistari, ensuring the later independence of Marakat. As well, they were present at the Bakino Campaign in the newly declared Voyorras. After the end of the war, the Union offered assistance to the newly independent nations and remained within the Yazera Pact as a founding member.

After the Tyran War, the Talarian Union was largely stagnant, sandwiched as it was between the Vernarcan Federation and Kaegan Sovereignty. Some elements in society desired to join the Federation, but most didn't want to lose the position of power the Union's discriminatory laws gave them at the time. This era was dominated by peaceful relations with the Federation and the occasional skirmish with the Sovereignty, as well as the establishment of steady trade relationships with the Thelsan Assembly and Unity of Fass Karan under Autarch Irsinare in 18 AC. The Sukothra and Merrilor systems were also colonized during this time.

This time of complacency ended abruptly in 48 AC, when the Kaegan Sovereignty's internal conflicts cleared up for a time and enabled them to focus their attention outwards. An invasion force crossed the Union border near the contested Taum System, hoping to reestablish control over the secondary star of Delaure before the Union could react. In this they succeeded, as the Union's Federation allies were busy fending off their own attacks near the Kalpen System. Luckily, technology sharing within the Yazera Pact meant that pound for pound Talarian ships were substantially more powerful than those of the Kaegans.

Kaegan attacks reached well into the limit cloud of the Koinon System numerous times, and the outer system colonies of Niamh and Agelmar were found completely massacred with all valuable objects pilfered from the sites. In 52, the major world of Arafel came under direct attack by a massive Kaegan fleet, and almost fell to the Sovereignty before huge numbers of Vernarcan Federation ships came to the rescue and routed them from the system. The Sovereignty poured everything into this failed attack, and the destruction of a fleet of that size sounded the end of the "hot" phase of the conflict. The Kaegans begrudgingly signed an armistice in early 53 AC, which handed back control of the inner worlds of Delaure to the Union.

Falacian Cold War and Modern Times

During the time of peace following the war, the Talarian Union's culture changed little, with conservative leaders retaining power for much of that time. But with the Falacian Dominion's withdrawl from the Yazera Pact in 79 and the beginning of the Falacian Cold War, this external pressure on the nation's foreign policy decisions spread to the rest of society, causing progressive factions to gain favor among the general population. While the Dominion posed little direct threat to the Talarian Union, the international tensions still caused strain in the populace.

With the end of the Cold War and the fragmentation of the Falacian Dominion, one threat was quickly replaced by another. The discovery of the Szalana Wormhole just beyond the Union's border halfway between Yauke and the Merrilor System brought with it great opportunities, but also great danger. The colonization of the Lintepe System opened up new regions of space for the Union to explore alongside their Federation allies. However, the Alliance of Five native to that region were among the most powerful nations in known space, and they were willing to take almost anything as antagonism.

In 126 AC, a breakaway group known as the Egalitarians fled through the wormhole to escape the conservative government of the time and established colonies within the Lintepe System, appealing for Federation membership. Autarch Serrasanni ordered an invasion sent through the wormhole, but the Federation threatened to impose sanctions for their actions and she was forced to back down. While Serasani was elected to another term, this time was widely considered the death knell of Talarian matriarchy as those benefitting from it finally began to feel consequences. The Lintepe colony remained an incorporated Federation world.

In 138 AC, the looming danger of war with the Alliance of Five finally came to a head with the Federation's acceptance of protectorate status of the Thistolian Empire. The armies of the New Union of Xeriphas destroyed the small Lintepe System colonies as the Alliance of Five began to invade the Federation. After less than a year, Federation territory outside the Zahl Order within the Apple Nebula was placed under occupation. The Kaegan Sovereignty allied itself with the Alliance of Five as well, providing a much greater threat to the Yazera Pact.

Although the election of a more progressive Autarch allowed many of the Lintepe colonists to return to Union space, the deaths of those who remained was still a grave loss to the Talarian people. This led the Union to join the War of the Broken Bow over a week before Article III of the Yazera Pact was invoked by the Federation, and so began the bloodiest conflict in the Union's long history. Blowing the Tyran War out of the water in the first three years, the War of the Broken Bow saw direct Alliance incursions of Union territory and the occupation of the Merrilor System by the Kaegan Sovereignty with the support of the Alliance of Five. Soon after, Mev'Dar itself fell to the Sovereignty and was placed under military rule. Autarch Ririssa was summarily executed in the public square of Kahea as an example to those who resisted.

The Dosi Confederation's signing of the Yazera Pact and its joining of the war on the side of the Union and Federation began to turn the tide against the Alliance. Confederation forces successfully tied up large Alliance fleets on its borders and prevented them from reinforcing the Vernarca Nebula occupation forces against the ongoing resistance. The Talarian Rebellion began with surprise attacks and sabotage of occupying military installations, and the later organization of a network of secret bases in interstellar space. The Terminus Invasion of 143 began the large-scale liberation of Alliance-occupied territory within the Nebula, and the rebellion's sabotage operations prevented the consistent repair of Alliance warships in what they thought was "pacified" territory. By 135, the liberation of Vernarca Nebula space reached the borders of the Union. The now much more powerful Kaegan warships were difficult for the forces of the liberated Federation territory and the First Civilian Fleet to combat, but the assistance of the Talarian Rebellion made it possible to destroy many of them and drive the rest from their homes.

As the Alliance was driven back through the Szalana Wormhole, the Kaegan occupation of Mev'Dar was particularly difficult to crack. The Kaegans fought for their conquests with religious fervor, with very few of the elite soldiers so much as allowing themselves to be taken prisoner. No surrender was ever issued, and the Kaegan presence in the Talar System turned from an occupation to an insurgency as the Talarian Union reestablished itself as an independent nation. WIP

Government

The Talarian Union functions as an anocracy, loosely defined as part democracy and part dictatorship. The Union is led by an Autarch, which is elected by the Council of Worlds which is elected by the constituents of each member. The Union, while it allows opposition politics, means to redress grievances are incomplete as free speech and assembly are not enshrined in the constitution as rights.

Society & Culture

The Talarian political structure is a fairly rigid matriarchy, with male Q'Mau generally only trusted in the trades of violence like the Talarian military. Outside of that sphere, men are as a rule culturally, if not explicitly on a legal level, subordinate to women. Conflict plays an important role in Q'Mau culture, and behaviors found in soldiers are strongly encouraged in males. There has only ever been one male Autarch of the Talarian Union, by the name of Ansirranna, and he ironically presided over the most peaceful time in the Union's history.

Foreign Relations

As of the modern day, the Talarian Union has cordial relations with most of its neighbors. It was a founding member of the Yazera Pact during the Tyran War, and its forces helped the alliance defeat the Tyran Empire and liberate much of its conquered territories. It was generally more reticent to assist the population of the former empire after the Athos Supernova. a position agreed with by the Falacian Dominion. Of course, after the Krask Hegemony, and later the Republic of Avor and United Earen seceded from the Dominion, it quickly recognized them, which had a hand in the Dominion's departure from the Yazera Pact.

The Taum System is currently a point of contention with the Kaegan Sovereignty, an intensely xenophobic nation rimward of the Union and the Federation. The Yazera Pact has promised to aid the Union if outright conflict breaks out over the region.

Astrography

The Talarian Union is a relatively small, but very densely packed nation, centered around the bright Talar System immediately rimward of the Verdan Federation. Also of note are the Merrilor and Koinon Systems, as well as Alera Asenis, which was once a point of dispute between the Union and the expanding Varbudian colonies before the founding of the Federation.

Neighboring Powers

The Talarian Union has a fairly long border with the Verdan Federation towards the galactic core, which it has fairly good relations with. Towards the rim, there is the Kaegan Sovereignty, an intensely xenophobic nation which has almost came to blows with the Union over disputes in the Taum System.

Capital

Mev'Dar, a small ocean moon, is the capital of the Talarian Union and homeworld of the Q'Mau. It can be found in the Talar System in a high orbit around the gas giant Ishasi, and its orbit is positively filled with habitation structures sometimes dating back to before the age of the Talarian Empire. The oceans of Mev'Dar have been inhabited by civilization for millennia, with great floating cities springing up and spreading across the waves over the centuries. Mev'Dar, beyond its geopolitical significance, is physically unique due to the presence of the submoon, Kiley, a rare occurrence that manifests when a moon exists in a stable orbit around another lunar body.

Notable Systems

Major Worlds


	Mev'Dar	Chachin	Arafel

Location	Talar System/Ishasi	Talar System	Koinon System


Population	6.25 trillion	7.3 trillion	5.6 trillion


Unique Attributes: